How technology has made it possible
The main difference to analogue is that the signals are compressed, which means much more information can be transmitted in the same amount of bandwidth. Freeview, cable and digital satellite viewers can all access interactive television content, meaning it is now available to well over half of all households. Some digital television boxes are connected to a telephone line, enabling a two-way transfer of information, similar to an internet connection. This has meant that Internet services such as banking and email have become available even to people without computers in their homes.
What does this mean?
One side effect of the rise of iTV is the potential that has arisen for fictional programming to become truly interactive. Broadcast in December 2005, episodes were available to view not just on Channel 4, but on MTV, E4, and available to download from the PSP website and on 3 mobile phones. The BBC has also begin to look at interactive drama, with viewers of an episode of Holby City having a choice of two characters to kill off.
Imagine a scenario in which the interactive content offers viewers four choices at each key point in the narrative, selectable by using the four coloured keys on the remote control. The number of choices effectively means the viewer is choosing their own programme from one of dozens or even hundreds of potential programmes. The cost of producing such a programme would be much higher and do audiences really want choice.
The trend in recent years has been towards personalisation, with iPods and PVRs letting consumers create, respectively, their own radio stations and television channels. PVRs (Personal Video Recorders) such as Sky+ have already worried advertisers, as they drastically cut down the amount of time people spend watching advertising. As more and more people adopt new technologies, institutions will be forced to find ways to make up for the loss in revenue, and this may mean exploiting iTV more. Ofcom will be keeping a close eye on developments, but there is little doubt that things will change.
Friday, April 25
Thursday, April 24
TV on iTunes
ITV makes classic shows available on iTunes
By Nicole Martin, Digital and Media Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:01pm BST 22/04/2008
Have your say Read comments
Millions of iPod owners can now watch their favourite ITV programmes on the go after the broadcaster signed a ground-breaking deal with iTunes.
TV fans want to watch their favourite shows whenever and wherever they want
Fans can download episodes of Cold Feet, Captain Scarlet and other ITV classics onto their computers and then watch them on their iPods or iPhones for just £1.89. Other programmes such as Inspector Morse and the adaptations of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and Emma will be available to download later this year.
Dawn Airey, the managing director of ITV global content, said: "We want to give our viewers the opportunity to watch their favourite shows wherever they are.
"ITV has thousands of hours of classic content in the archive which we are bringing to a whole new audience via iTunes."
Viewers can already download BBC programmes, including Life on Mars and Torchwood, and Channel 4 favourites, including Shameless and Skins, from the iTunes website.
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The deals reflect the growing demand for television catch-up services and the changing habits of viewers who want to be able to watch their favourite shows whenever and wherever they want.
Last year BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4 announced plans to launch a joint online television service, aiming to provide a "one stop shop" for people who want to catch up on TV shows they have missed.
The service, provisionally called Kangaroo, will launch later this year and will offer more than 10,000 hours of "catch-up" and archived television shows, available for viewers to download for free or buy.
The iPlayer, which allows viewers to watch BBC programmes up to seven days after transmission, has already proved popular, with 2.2 million people using it in its first three months.
Above is an article I took from the Daily Telegraph’s website that was published recently on the 22nd of April 2008. It shows the true extent of the development of how we consume television in the modern era. Ipods only became popular in last five years and not many people five years ago would have predicted the growth and success of this Apple product. It is remarkable that something that had such an introduction on the way we consume music, has converged with other media technologies to offer buyers such a variation and excellent product for their money. Being able to download television programmes of the consumer choice gives them a great way to catch up with their favourite programmes. Many programmes are on such high demand from customers that the times we consume television is dramatic. Nearly gone are the times of prime time television, as people know that if they don’t watch their favourite television programme they can always watch it another time at their own convenience. People now know that they do not have to be watching their television when their favourite programmes come on because they can either watch the repeat, record using Sky+, watch the omnibus, watch it on the internet through services such as iplayer and now on their ipod all made by the companies to improve convenience, improve their reputation and to stay up to date with the constant changes in new media technology.
By Nicole Martin, Digital and Media Correspondent
Last Updated: 1:01pm BST 22/04/2008
Have your say Read comments
Millions of iPod owners can now watch their favourite ITV programmes on the go after the broadcaster signed a ground-breaking deal with iTunes.
TV fans want to watch their favourite shows whenever and wherever they want
Fans can download episodes of Cold Feet, Captain Scarlet and other ITV classics onto their computers and then watch them on their iPods or iPhones for just £1.89. Other programmes such as Inspector Morse and the adaptations of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey and Emma will be available to download later this year.
Dawn Airey, the managing director of ITV global content, said: "We want to give our viewers the opportunity to watch their favourite shows wherever they are.
"ITV has thousands of hours of classic content in the archive which we are bringing to a whole new audience via iTunes."
Viewers can already download BBC programmes, including Life on Mars and Torchwood, and Channel 4 favourites, including Shameless and Skins, from the iTunes website.
advertisement
The deals reflect the growing demand for television catch-up services and the changing habits of viewers who want to be able to watch their favourite shows whenever and wherever they want.
Last year BBC Worldwide, ITV and Channel 4 announced plans to launch a joint online television service, aiming to provide a "one stop shop" for people who want to catch up on TV shows they have missed.
The service, provisionally called Kangaroo, will launch later this year and will offer more than 10,000 hours of "catch-up" and archived television shows, available for viewers to download for free or buy.
The iPlayer, which allows viewers to watch BBC programmes up to seven days after transmission, has already proved popular, with 2.2 million people using it in its first three months.
Above is an article I took from the Daily Telegraph’s website that was published recently on the 22nd of April 2008. It shows the true extent of the development of how we consume television in the modern era. Ipods only became popular in last five years and not many people five years ago would have predicted the growth and success of this Apple product. It is remarkable that something that had such an introduction on the way we consume music, has converged with other media technologies to offer buyers such a variation and excellent product for their money. Being able to download television programmes of the consumer choice gives them a great way to catch up with their favourite programmes. Many programmes are on such high demand from customers that the times we consume television is dramatic. Nearly gone are the times of prime time television, as people know that if they don’t watch their favourite television programme they can always watch it another time at their own convenience. People now know that they do not have to be watching their television when their favourite programmes come on because they can either watch the repeat, record using Sky+, watch the omnibus, watch it on the internet through services such as iplayer and now on their ipod all made by the companies to improve convenience, improve their reputation and to stay up to date with the constant changes in new media technology.
Tuesday, April 22
Interactive TV
Interactive TV is a mix of teletext/ceefax and the internet. It offers users information on demand as well as two-way services over your phone line, such as e-mail, online shopping and banking. Sky’s equivalent of the red button is sky active and offers users games, news, offers and features whereas the BBC has BBCi, the Beeb’s interactive service.
Freeview
Freeview offers extra channels form the standard TV aerial without a subscription fee. As long as your house is within the coverage area offering forty TV channels and twenty-four radio channels. Freeview comes via a set top plugged into the existing TV box.
Digital Switchover
The UK’s old television broadcast signal that is known as analogue is being switched off and replaced with a digital signal. The digital switchover will take place between 2008 and 2012 with the time of the switchover dependant on where you live within the UK. Anyone buying a new television will have to look out for the digital television symbol (below) on the product and therefore leading to a successful and quick switchover.
Companies that offer digital services are:
Tiscali
Small World
Freeview
Virgin Media
Sky
Wight Cable
Top Up TV
Freesat
BT Vision
There are many advantages that digital television has for viewers the main benefit being that the customer has more channels to chose from as well as the channels you already had. Customers are also able to sign up for subscription channels, therefore offering them more a variety. The quality of performance is also of substantially better quality and the inclusion of new features such as the red button interactivity.
There are disadvantages of the digital switchover such as the fact it costs people money that may need to spend on something more important and also the fact that some people are happy with the channels they already have.
Companies that offer digital services are:
Tiscali
Small World
Freeview
Virgin Media
Sky
Wight Cable
Top Up TV
Freesat
BT Vision
There are many advantages that digital television has for viewers the main benefit being that the customer has more channels to chose from as well as the channels you already had. Customers are also able to sign up for subscription channels, therefore offering them more a variety. The quality of performance is also of substantially better quality and the inclusion of new features such as the red button interactivity.
There are disadvantages of the digital switchover such as the fact it costs people money that may need to spend on something more important and also the fact that some people are happy with the channels they already have.
Sky Anytime on PC
Sky Anytime offers Sky viewers a chance to get more for their Sky subscription by catching up on television programmes they have missed. It offers viewers the chance to get a preview of upcoming programmes. They offer customers the chance to escape the schedules to watch what you want, when you want, where you want.
Sky
Sky is the most known digital television provider and as a company they offer many services to its customers that benefit their entertainment. They offer many different channels as a basic set, but on top of that they also offer customer different boxes from Sky HD to Sky +. There are also many other various TV packages on offer to chose from giving the customer what they want to watch. Other products Sky offer are broadband and phones.
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